Different Doctors and Different Approaches to Care

Whiplash
injuries are a major public health problem. Not only do they cause
significant pain and time off from work and leisure activities, there is
also a general effect on quality of life. A study in the European Spine Journal
compared female patients with whiplash of the neck to patients with low
back pain and another group with rheumatoid arthritis. The researchers
looked at pain levels (how high or low) and how quality of life was
affected. The pain levels were the highest among those in the whiplash
group. Those in the whiplash group also experienced the greatest overall
impact on their overall health with noted disturbances in social
issues, vitality, emotional, and mental well-being.

A study in the journal Spine
looked at how medical and chiropractic doctors differed in their
approach to patients with whiplash. Medical doctors were more likely to
have negative feelings about treating patients who have whiplash. They
were also more likely to believe that there was nothing physically wrong
with many patients with chronic whiplash. In terms of treatment, most
medical doctors believed that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) and muscle relaxants were effective for those with acute
whiplash despite the significant scientific evidence of problems of
safety with long-term consumption of NSAIDs (e.g. stomach bleeding). In
addition to questions of safety, there is virtually no evidence that
these types of medications actually improve patients’ pain or overall
quality of life.

The chiropractic approach to whiplash is much
different from that of medical doctors. First, there is a general
acceptance that the injuries are real and are not made-up by the
patient. Biomechanical studies of auto accidents confirm these injuries
are real and mostly consist of sprains to the joints of the neck. The
spinal ligaments, muscles and disks are all affected in whiplash injury.
When trauma to these tissues occurs, the sensitive nerves that go
between these structures are also irritated, resulting in pain and
changes in balance (e.g. dizziness and position sense). Over time, the
patient may have significant effects on their quality of life.

One study of chiropractic care in the journal Injury looked at the results in patients with chronic (i.e., long-term) whiplash injuries—which
occurs in about 43% of cases. Twenty-eight patients were studied and of
these, 93% (n=26) had improved following chiropractic treatment.

Members of ChiroTrust® have taken “The ChiroTrust Pledge”: “To the best of my ability, I agree to provide my patients convenient, affordable, and mainstream Chiropractic care. I will not use unnecessary long-term treatment plans and/or therapies.”

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This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.